With 8 teams within 5 points of the two leaders, more changes can be expected in the coming weeks. Achilles (Tennessee Mash — RCL 22) is 1 back, followed by Trini (Psychic Friends Network — RCL 22) at 106. The Fugs (Epic Beardmen Division), last week’s leader, are next with 105 points, along with We’ve Got the Runs (Baseball Reasons) and Team Birdis (RCL 3’s second top 10 team). Big Magoo (Matthew Berry is a Tool) is 8th (up 7 spots) with 104 points. Beardcrabs (The Gaylords — Conshellation Prize) and Simply fred (The Fredsies — ECFBL) round out the top 10 with 103.

LBI Storm (RCL 9) was the big mover this week, gaining 14 points and jumping from 473rd to 323rd in the overall standings.

The ECFBL now has a Competitive Index of 104.51, and last year’s record 107.66 is probably going to fall as they keep working while other leagues lose managers to disinterest. Matthew Berry is a Tool (102.59) has taken 2nd place from RCL 9 (102.33).

There was some controversy in Myrtle’s Acres this week as a manager dumped all his players. The League Manager returned the players, but with them sitting on the bench yesterday 3 home runs and 8 RBI from Carlos Beltran and Cody Ross were missed. Hopefully this can be straightened out as the league’s Competitive Index will be hurt with the loss of stats from Beltran, Miggy, and Curtis Granderson. Turk Wendell is ready to take over the team, if needed. Let me know.

Expert League: Ryan Carey (Mastersball Carey) came out ahead this week in his battle with Rudy for first place. Ryan is now 25th overall, while Rudy drops to 42nd. Grey gave up on 2 of his first 7 picks, dropping Ryan Zimmerman andChris Young outright. He picked up Adam Lind, gambling that Lind’s time in Vegas has turned him around. Tim Dierkes (P.F. Flyer) quickly grabbed Zimmerman, while Dalton Del Don (RotoWire Del Don) scooped up Krispie.

Smokey had a nice pitching line this week, with the Mcpots winning 8 and adding 6 saves. They had 48 strikeouts in 46.1 innings, with an ERA of 1.94 and 1.01 WHIP. David Price won 2 with 12 Ks, a 2.57 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, while Johnny Cueto and Edwin Jackson both had impressive victories.

Excellent! I had a good week, the most Runs and HRs I’ve ever had for a weekly total while grabbing another 8 wins to finally get to the top of the league in that category. Plus, I just read I get a nice little boost-o-Rizzo coming my way tomorrow. Giddy-up indeed!

It’s pretty cool seeing how the league CIs affect the standings. That battle in RCL 3 is impressive. 110.5 vs. 108. The low league CI brings them down though. I thought for sure the captain would have the top spot. The top 10 is TIGHT!

@MattTruss223, You have to remember though, the higher the CI, the less likely it is for a team to put up a monster season of 106 points or higher. Last year Chris (Retro Vertigo) won the ECFBL with 99 points and finished 12th overall.

@MattTruss223, Yeah, I saw that. I wish there were a way to reply directly to the LM notes as you always something interesting to say in them.

As for my team, it has come together but, realistically, my chances of catching you are very slim, especially since I need Dan Haren to be a different Dan Haren than Dan Haren deigns to be. My goal for now is keep up the steady climb.

@MattTruss223, Have to root for any team named Rube Waddell’s Shiny Objects, of course! Perhaps if there is an opening, you can find out how you might fare in REAL competition; i.e. the ECFBL! That offer, of course, would go to VIn, or Rudy for that matter, as I am sure that he realizes that the “Pert competitive index is not quite up to snuff:)

Thanks for all of your great work, Vin. Have been sick this week, that seems to be the key to doing well in the ECFBL. Last year, Kelly was out of commission with a broken Leg almost all year, and was in first place for most of the season. This year, he is working full time, and out of the running.

@Paulie Allnuts, If there was an opening, I’d be honored; and subsequently would probably get crushed, but ECFBL looks like a lot of fun!

I like being an LM though too, doing weekly write-ups and all that. I think next year I’m going to try and invite most of the teams from Magnificent Mustachioed Men back and try to keep a core group together for the RCL. We only have 1 or 2 guys that aren’t real active.

@MattTruss223, Doing weekly write-ups, or in my case, bi=weekly, is lots of fun. If you have a tight core group, go from there. I think that the key is that each manager needs to know that it is expected of him/her to compete until the last ball of the last game of the season is pitched. We are a money league, and that helps as well, although if you are near the bottom of the standings, that piece of the incentive is lost. One of the other money groups Ones are GOOD, Right? typically has a high C.I. In fact three of our members came from that group. Over the years, I have been in contact with many fantasy managers, and make my selections for league membership based on two things; competitiveness and cordiality, the second being just as important as the first. We also likely have the most active blogging in the league.

@Paulie Allnuts, I thought about gauging intrest in turning MMM into a money league for next year. That’s a good way to keep competition high. Towards the end of the year I’ll see who wants to come back and if everyone’s on board for a cash league. Then I’ll advertise as such next year. Do you mind me asking how you guys handle that? Leaguesafe or something?

@Paulie Allnuts, Yeah, having extra time to spend on fantasy baseball definitely helps. I would be eaten alive in the ECFBL. I have been middle-of-the-pack in my RCL leagues, other than 1 2nd place finish (22 points behind the leader.)

@VinWins, the main thing that I have learned since the formation of the ECFBL is humility. I really thought that I knew a thing or two about fantasy, until last season, when I finished 9th. And this year, I am pretty much at the same level. In a real way, guys like Simply Fred, Chris of Retro Vertigo, and some others have actually revolutionized ROTO play. For instance, if you look at what Fred does day to day, it seems odd and quirky. But it works.